Automatic call completion in a directory assistance system

ABSTRACT

A method, system and apparatus for automatic call completion in a directory assistance system in concert with the public switched telephone network (PSTN). In accordance with the present invention, a method for automatic call completion in a directory assistance system can include receiving and processing a directory assistance request from a calling party over the PSTN. An address for the calling party can be retrieved from the PSTN and an address for a telephone number produced by the directory assistance request can be second retrieved from within the directory assistance system. Prospective telephone charges can be computed based upon the retrieved addresses and the calling party can be prompted with the computed prospective charges. Finally, a call can be automatically completed between the calling party and the telephone number.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Statement of the Technical Field

The present invention relates to delivering directory assistanceservices to a telephone subscriber, and more particularly to automaticcall completion in a directory assistance system through a publicswitched telephone network (PSTN).

2. Description of the Related Art

The intelligent network of today bears little semblance to the PSTN ofold. In fact, the term “intelligence” has little to do with theoperation of the conventional PSTN. Rather, the conventional PSTN of oldincorporates a massive complex of switching matrices and transporttrunks that, through the electronic equivalent of “brute force”, forgethe interconnections necessary to call completion. More particularly,for decades for every call processed the PSTN relied upon eachsuccessive switch to route a voice signal to the next. Still, the modernvolume of calls processed within the conventional PSTN demands a faster,more streamlined approach to call routing.

To overcome the elements of the brute force aspect of the conventionalPSTN, physically separate signaling networks have been grafted upon thetransport and switching PSTN elements to oversee call set-up andbilling. These “out-of-band” adjuncts speed routing data and commandsdirectly to the switches involved, establishing all the necessary linksprior to the actual transmission of a call. Consequently, with“out-of-band” signaling the PSTN has become “conscious” of theoperations it is to perform prior to their execution. As a result, thePSTN has become a more flexible beast, capable even of substantiallogic.

The development of the “out-of-band” protocol, Signaling System 7 (SS7),has led to the widespread deployment of intelligent network technology.In SS7, signaling links transmit routing packets between switches.Consequently, specialized SS7 Signaling Transfer Points (STPs) appearedto shepherd routing messages from local switches onto a high-capacitypacket switches for distribution to other switches, STPs andcall-related databases, such as the Line Information Database (LIDB),the Local Number Portability (LNP) database, the Toll Free Callingdatabase and other databases containing additional call routinginstructions. And, so, the agility of high-speed computer networkingbegan exerting control over the raw power of the PSTN.

The marriage of convenience between SS7 and the PSTN soon produced theAdvanced Intelligent Network (AIN)—an architecture where centralizeddatabases control call processing. Logic ported via STPs to selectswitches now have become widely distributed throughout the network.AIN-capable switches also have begun to function as interactivesignaling-platforms. Equipped with resident software triggers, AINcapable switches now can halt a call in progress long enough to queryService Control Points (SCPs)—databases containing service logic andsubscriber information—which can provide instruction as to how to route,monitor, or terminate the call. The PSTN of today now effectivelyincludes long-term memory as well as intelligence. Accordingly, themodern local exchange carrier holds the means to deploy such advancedtelecommunications features such as telephone number portability,wireless roaming, call waiting and a host of other subscriber options.

The LIDB is a database configured for coupling to the PSTN through anSCP. The LIDB typically includes amorphous records arranged to storeinformation regarding telephone callers, such as the name of the caller,the address of the caller, billing information for the caller, and thelike. By storing invariable information regarding the caller, such asthe name, address and billing method, many intelligent telephonicservices can be provided over the PSTN through a simple query to theLIDB. In this regard, several local exchange carriers have deployedindependent LIDB access services to facilitate the deployment ofintelligent telephonic services which can exploit the invariantinformation stored within the LIDB.

Despite the wealth of information associated with a telephone callerstored in the LIDB, the LIDB seems to remain an untapped resourcesuitable only for advanced telephony billing applications. Accordingly,many conventional inconveniences remain prevalent in the world of thecall center. For instance, in a directory assistance system, when acalling party requests a telephone number lookup, the directoryassistance system can automatically connect the calling party to theselected phone number retrieved in consequence of the lookup operation.Notably, the call can be connected regardless of the telephone chargesassociated with the call, including long distance charges. In fact,typically, the calling party remains unaware of such charges and thecalling party may decline the use of the automatic connection servicewithout certain knowledge of the cost of the proposed telephone call.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the deficiencies of the art in respectto providing automatic call completion in a directory assistance systemand provides a novel and non-obvious method, system and apparatus forautomatic call completion in a directory assistance system acting inconcert with the PSTN. In accordance with the present invention, amethod for automatic call completion in a directory assistance caninclude receiving and processing a directory assistance request from acalling party over the PSTN. An address for the calling party can beretrieved from the PSTN and an address for a telephone number producedby the directory assistance request can be second retrieved from withinthe directory assistance system. Prospective telephone charges can becomputed based upon the retrieved addresses and the calling party can beprompted with the computed prospective charges. Finally, a call can beautomatically completed between the calling party and the telephonenumber.

The processing step can include performing a telephone number lookup forthe request in an enterprise system in a directory assistance system.Similarly, the processing step can include performing a reversetelephone number lookup for the request in an enterprise system in adirectory assistance system. The second retrieving step can includereceiving a data communications message from a name resolution adapterdisposed within the PSTN and extracting an address for the calling partyfrom the message. For instance, the second retrieving step can includethe steps of querying a LIDB through a name resolution adapter disposedin the PSTN for an address for the calling party.

The computing step can include the step of computing prospectivetelephone connection charges based upon the retrieved addresses. Thecomputing step also can include the step of computing prospectivetelephone per minute usage charges based upon the retrieved addresses.Finally, the automatically completing step can include receiving aselection from the calling party responsive to the prompting step andcompleting the call if the selection indicates an affirmative choice bythe calling party to complete the call. Otherwise the system can exit.

Additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in thedescription which follows, and in part will be obvious from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The aspectsof the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elementsand combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It isto be understood that both the foregoing general description and thefollowing detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only andare not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute partof this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention andtogether with the description, serve to explain the principles of theinvention. The embodiments illustrated herein are presently preferred,it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to theprecise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a process for providing automaticcall completion in a directory assistance system through a PSTNaccording to the inventive arrangements;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a system for providing automaticcall completion in a directory assistance system utilizing billing datacomputed from location information acquired within the PSTN; and,

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a process for providing automaticcall completion in the system of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is a method, system and apparatus for automaticcall completion in a directory assistance system. In accordance with thepresent invention, the location of a calling party can be determined inthe PSTN. Concurrently, a lookup operation requested by the callingparty can be computed in the directory assistance system. Using thelocation of the calling party and the location returned from the lookupoperation, estimated telephone charges can be computed for completingthe call to the resulting phone number returned by the lookup operation.Subsequently, the calling party can be prompted with the estimatedtelephone charges to better advise the calling party whether to permitautomatic call completion. In this way, more pertinent, relevantinformation can be provided to the calling party as part of a directoryassistance request by relying upon known and accessible localeinformation disposed within the PSTN.

In further illustration, FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating aprocess for providing automatic call completion in a directoryassistance system through a PSTN according to the inventivearrangements. Specifically, a caller 130 can be coupled telephonicallyto a directory assistance system 140 by way of the PSTN 110. Thedirectory assistance system 140 can be configured to process lookuprequests for callers and to provide telephone numbers in response to thelookup requests. Preferably, the lookup requests and responses can beprovided audibly through the operation of an interactive voice responsesystem 145, although the invention is not so limited to the precisearrangement shown in FIG. 1 to include the interactive voice responsesystem 145. Finally, the directory assistance system 140 can include acall billing computation processor 150 configured to compute estimatedtelephone charges for automatically completing a telephone call basedupon address information 155.

In operation, as the caller 130 initiates the telephone call in the PSTN110, a name resolution adapter 180 disposed within the PSTN 110 cancapture caller identifying data 190 for the telephone used by the caller130 in order to identify the caller 130. Using the caller identifyingdata 190, the name resolution adapter 180 can produce specificidentification data for the caller 130, for instance a name, address,phone number, credit card number, or account number, to name a few. Inthis regard, the name resolution adapter 180 can query one or moredatabases disposed within the PSTN 110, including a LIDB, to obtain thespecific identification data based upon the caller identifying data 190.

When the specific identification data has been acquired, the specificinformation can be encapsulated in a caller information message 170 andprovided to an enterprise application 160 associated with the directoryassistance system 140 over the data communications network 120.Concurrently, the call between the caller 130 and the directoryassistance system 140 can be established over the PSTN 110. Importantly,using the caller information 170, a call address 155 can be determinedand provided to the call billing computation processor 150.

The call billing computation processor 150 in turn can compute thetelephone charges for completing and maintaining a telephone callbetween the caller 130 and the telephone number returned by the lookuprequested by the caller 130. The telephone charges can include a callset up charge and a per minute charge or a flat charge, based upon theaddress information 155 and any billing preferences indicated by thecaller information 170, such as a special calling plan. Subsequently,the call billing computation processor 150 can provide the computedtelephone charges to the directory assistance system 140 which in turncan prompt the caller 130 with the computed telephone charges in orderto permit the caller 130 whether to activate automatic call completion.

To further illustrate the preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a system for providingautomatic call completion in a directory assistance system utilizingbilling data computed from location information acquired within thePSTN. As shown in FIG. 2, a system for providing automatic callcompletion in a directory assistance system utilizing billing datacomputed from location information acquired within the PSTN can includeone or more telephonic switches 230 coupled to one another within a PSTN200. Each of the switches 230 can be communicatively linked to a serviceswitching point (SSP) 220 coupled to an out-of-band signaling networkcomprised of a multiplicity of signal transfer points (STP) 210. EachSTP 210 can be cross-connected to other ones of the STPs 210 in the PSTNso as to form an inter-network of switched communications links tosupport out-of-band signaling as is well-known in the art.

One or more switchless nodes each referred to as an SCP 240 can becommunicatively linked to the out-of-band signaling network via one ofthe STPs 210 as is well-known in the art and embodied within the SS7signaling network. The SCP 240 can be coupled to one or more databases260A, 260B, 260 n which can be configured to store invariant data suchas the name, address and billing information for callers. For example,the databases 260A, 260B, 260 n can include a local number portability(LNP) database, a LIDB, or any other such database which can be accessedwithin an SCP 240.

Notably, as is well-known in the art, the information stored within thedatabases 260A, 260B, 260 n can be stored in amorphous records innothing more than a flat file database, an object database or arelational database. In any event, through the communicative linkagesbetween the SCP 240, the STP 210 and the databases 260A, 260B, 260 n,transaction capabilities application part (TCAP) messages can beprocessed in the SCP 240 to access the invariant data in the databases260A, 260B, 260 n. In this way, calls processed through the switch 230can access logic in the SCP 240 and data in the databases 260A, 260B,260 n through the SSP 220.

Notably, a name resolution adapter 250 can be coupled to the out-of-bandnetwork comprised of inter-connected STPs 210 to access data and logicthrough the SCP 240 through an exchange of messages such as TCAPmessages. The name resolution adapter 250 can include a gateway nodehaving both an interface to the PSTN 200 and also an interface to a datacommunications network 270 such as an Internet Protocol driven network.In this way, data received through the PSTN 200, and more particularlyfrom accessing the databases 260A, 260B, 260 n in the PSTN 200 can bepassed within IP packets to an enterprise application 280 over the datacommunications network 270. Also, as the enterprise application 280 canbe coupled to a switch 230 within the PSTN 200 through an associatedadapter, data disposed within the databases 260A, 260B, 260 n regardingan incoming call can be processed within the enterprise application 280.

In operation, the name resolution adapter 250 can monitor calls placedto a switch 230 to which the enterprise application 280 has beencoupled. As calls are received in the switch 230, the name resolutionadapter 250 can receive respective TCAP messages from the STP 210coupled to the switch 230. Using the TCAP messages, the name resolutionadapter 250 can create additional TCAP messages to query the LIDB 260Bto identify the callers. For each TCAP message querying the LIDB 260B,the LIDB 260B can return the identity of the caller, for instance thecaller's name, or other identification such as caller's address. Oncethe name resolution adapter 250 has received the identity of the callerfrom the LIDB 260B, the name resolution adapter 250 can transmit theidentity to the enterprise application 280 over the data communicationsnetwork 270. The enterprise application 280 subsequently can correlatethe caller identity received from the name resolution adapter 250 with acorresponding call received through the switch 230.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, call billing computationlogic 290 can be coupled to the enterprise application 280. The callbilling computation logic 290 can be configured to resolve both thelocation of a caller based upon location information disposed within theidentity information provided by the name resolution adapter 250, andalso the location of a telephone associated with a telephone numberreturned by a directory assistance lookup operation. Using the acquiredlocation information, expected billing charges can be computed forcompleting and maintaining a call between the caller and the telephonenumber returned by the directory assistance lookup operation.

In further illustration, FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a processfor providing automatic call completion in the system of FIG. 2. Asshown in FIG. 3, beginning in block 310, an incoming call can bedetected in the PSTN and processed in the directory assistance system.In this regard, the incoming call can be processed in a switch in thePSTN in block 320 concurrently with the connection of the incoming callto the called party in block 340. More particularly, in block 320,caller information, including the address of the caller, can beretrieved from a database disposed within the PSTN, for instance acommunicatively coupled LIDB. Subsequently, in block 330, the retrievedcaller information can be forwarded to the enterprise system in thedirectory assistance system.

Within the directory assistance system in block 350 a directoryassistance request can be received and in block 360, the callerinformation received from the PSTN can be parsed to extract the addressof the calling party. In block 370, using the extracted address and anaddress for the telephone number specified by the directory assistancerequest a prospective charge for establishing and maintaining atelephone call between the caller and the telephone number can becomputed. In block 380, the caller can be prompted with the computedcharge. In particular, the caller can be informed of the computed chargeand the caller can be asked whether or not to automatically complete thecall to the telephone number. In decision block 390, if the callerchooses to automatically complete the call, in block 400 the call can becompleted. Otherwise, in block 410 an exit message can be played back tothe caller and the system can exit.

The present invention can be realized in hardware, software, or acombination of hardware and software. An implementation of the methodand system of the present invention can be realized in a centralizedfashion in one computer system, or in a distributed fashion wheredifferent elements are spread across several interconnected computersystems. Any kind of computer system, or other apparatus adapted forcarrying out the methods described herein, is suited to perform thefunctions described herein.

A typical combination of hardware and software could be a generalpurpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loadedand executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out themethods described herein. The present invention can also be embedded ina computer program product, which comprises all the features enablingthe implementation of the methods described herein, and which, whenloaded in a computer system is able to carry out these methods.

Computer program or application in the present context means anyexpression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of instructionsintended to cause a system having an information processing capabilityto perform a particular function either directly or after either or bothof the following a) conversion to another language, code or notation; b)reproduction in a different material form. Significantly, this inventioncan be embodied in other specific forms without departing from thespirit or essential attributes thereof, and accordingly, referenceshould be had to the following claims, rather than to the foregoingspecification, as indicating the scope of the invention.

1. A method for providing automatic call completion in a directoryassistance system in a public switched telephone network (PSTN), themethod comprising the steps of: receiving and processing a directoryassistance request from a calling party over the PSTN; first retrievingan address for said calling party from the PSTN and second retrieving anaddress for a telephone number produced by said directory assistancerequest; computing prospective telephone charges based upon saidretrieved addresses; prompting said calling party with said computedprospective charges; and, automatically completing a call between saidcalling party and said telephone number, wherein said first retrievingof the address comprises the steps of querying a line item database(LIDB) through a name resolution adapter disposed in the PSTN for anaddress for said calling party.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein saidprocessing step comprises the step of performing a telephone numberlookup for said request in an enterprise system in a directoryassistance system.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said processingstep comprises the step of performing a reverse telephone number lookupfor said request in an enterprise system in a directory assistancesystem.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said computing step comprisesthe step of computing prospective telephone connection charges basedupon said retrieved addresses.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein saidcomputing step comprises the step of computing prospective telephone perminute usage charges based upon said retrieved addresses.
 6. The methodof claim 1, wherein said automatically completing step comprises thesteps of: receiving a selection from said calling party responsive tosaid prompting step; completing said call if said selection indicates anaffirmative choice by said calling party to complete said call; and,otherwise exiting.